Profile Evaluation for MBA 2024

Question

Hi,

I want to apply for MBA fall 2024 and would like to get my profile evaluated. Please look at my profile and tell what are the top US & UK MBA b-bschools which I can target.

Name : Ishan Goyal
Age : 25 years old
Gender : Male
Nationality : Indian
Undergrad College : Punjab Engineering College (Tier -2 college)
CGPA: 9.0/10| College years: Aug 2016- May 2020
Major : Electrical Engineering

GMAT: 730 (Q50 , V39)

Class 12th score : 96.2%
(Awarded with letter of Appreciation from Ministry of Human Resources India for being among 0.01% successful candidates in 12th board exams)

Job Experience/Internships:

1) Oct 2021- Present : Gupta Industries (Family Business) - As Assistant Manager to my Father (Director of Gupta Industries)
Revenue : 60-70 cr
Business is of cattle feed manufacturing where we process cotton seeds to make cotton seed de-oiled cakes , which is a kind of cattle feed. Involved in selling
cattle feed and cotton seed oil.
Working with sales team, marketing and new business initiatives
- Optimized sales process (earlier happening through brokers) by hiring & managing a sales team for potential regions; witnessed a 30% increase in sales of
our leading product
- Established SOPs in the manufacturing unit for quality monitoring of raw materials & finished products, effectively decreasing operational time by ~14%
- Initiated a new B2B domain business of Rice Milling, planning and supervising the manufacturing unit with a profit projection of 1cr, which will be
operational by Sept 2023

2) Feb 2021 - Sept 2021 :ZS Associates as Decision Analytics Associate

- Was part of market research team assisting clients with quantitative market research projects for pharma clients through survey formation , data analysis
and then presenting analysis to answer key strategic objectives of the market research

3) Oct 2020 - Jan 2021 : O9 Solutions as Functional Consultant

-Configured the O9 platform based on change requests/enhancements to solve clients’ supply chain problems

4) Interned at Eka Software Solutions as Business Strategy Intern for 4 months during 6th semester of undergrad which is Internship semester
- Developed business use cases for Agribusiness and New verticals of Logistics & compliance through the inclusion of freight agreement and
negotiations system in the software
- Conducted product-fit analysis using secondary research for app usage for the cannabis industry and recommended modifications in existing
product functionality

Why MBA?

While working in family business I realised to transform a traditional family business, I need some skills which I can get from a b-school through MBA. One of the issues which I am currently facing is about how to go towards marketing to create a brand among rural customers of India. Plus an MBA can help me to gain a CEO's perspective to the things.

Short term goal :- Work in brand management and marketing for an FMCG brand

Long term goal : Use learnings from MBA and corporate work ex to scale family business and enter into other animal food and nutrition markets

Leadership/Volunteer work /Awards :
- Headed a team to organize festival events for 100+ families in society as a member of Eldeco welfare society
- Managed volunteers and collaborated with hospitals to organize around 5 blood donation camps in the college
- Was part of organizing team of college fests - marketing and publicity team , orientations
- Taught underprivileged children of grades 6-10 under the project of NSS and improved attendance in classes through a door-to-door campaign in slum areas
during college days
- Interest in Drawing and Painting : Was part of Art club during undergrad college ; won awards in inter college competitions in doodle making, painting etc. ; won national awards during high school in calligraphy and poster making

Things to Address : -

1. I got campus placement during covid in O9 solutions but during work I realised that I was not getting to work in business side of things. Due to this I decided to apply for consulting firms and got into ZS associates.

2. Due to some family issues , I had to leave ZS early on and join family business to support my father.

3. I applied to Ross, Tuck , Cornell and LBS during Round 3 of 2023 but got rejected in all these 4 bschools.

Currently I have an admission offer of Masters in Business Analytics from ESSEC , france. But I know that MBA can open more doors for me.

Please suggest whether it is a good option to wait for an year and apply for 2024 intake.

MBAGuide · Answer

Hi ishangoyal00 Very interesting profile. Here's my evaluation- Academics and GMAT Your academic track record is strong, especially with PEC being a top-tier college. It would be beneficial to highlight this in your applications. Additionally, your GMAT score of 730 is solid, so there is no need to worry about that aspect. Career Progression I like the breadth of experiences you have showcased. I would advise you to reflect on each of your roles, starting from your internship days, and extract valuable insights that have propelled you forward in your professional journey. This is a skill that comes with practice and may have been overlooked in your previous applications. For instance, your profile predominantly focuses on solving supply chain problems in the agri and FMCG sectors. This unique selling point can work to your advantage if your ultimate goal is to work with a major FMCG player. While your experience at ZS was relatively short, I wish it had been longer, especially considering your desire to transition to marketing and brand roles (more on this in the next section). Goals Strategy I find your goals to be the weakest aspect of your profile. Given your background in supply chain and operations, it will require a well-crafted strategy to convince the admissions committee about your aspirations in brand teams. If you haven't researched this yet, it is very challenging for Indian applicants with no prior marketing background to secure desirable brand marketing opportunities at foreign B schools and in a foreign country. Brands and marketing requires a very thorough understanding of the local market. You will need to devise a clever approach to demonstrate how an MBA can eventually facilitate this transition, though not immediately. If you have a genuine passion for brand marketing, the ideal path would have been pursuing a two-year PGDM course at institutions like IIMs, MDI, XLRI, SP Jain, etc. These programs traditionally serve as feeders into brand marketing roles at top FMCG firms. Many individuals then pursue a second MBA at a global school (such as Kellogg, which is a popular choice) to transition into a new geography. This is the current recruitment pipeline structure. However, your supply chain background may complicate this transition. Alternatively, you could consider category management post-MBA (explaining how you will transition from supply chain to category management), which equips you with similar skills required for handling brand P&L responsibilities. I have seen MBA graduates successfully transition into FMCG brand marketing roles laterally after gaining category management experience. If your long term goals are in India, why do you want the marketing experience abroad? Your goals strategy has many gaps. Hope you can improve on that this year. Feel free to connect should you want professional guidance Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer) MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

TheIvyLeagueEdge · Answer

Good show of Strong Academics & GMAT, though not quite enough for your over-represented demographic for the schools you applied to last year.

Too many jobs in a short time frequently play adversely in one's candidature; That said, packaged in the right manner, your work at Family Business can come about well.

As pointed our earlier, your goals are neither aligned, nor show any demonstrable experience; unless completely reshaped, and aligned, this will be the primary cause for any rejections.

Firstly, applying now IS for 2024 intake.
Secondly, you will really have to amp up your career growth, and goals, to make this 4 year experience count
Thirdly, your story will have to show an evolution/ maturity come about, for schools to look at you seriously. 
Some of this may come about with 1 more year of work; 
Applying this year itself may pitch you in a more competitive spot than an year later, but worth taking your chances. A Masters in Business Analytics will take you in a completely different direction, but if your question is whether strengthening your profile enough can get you an MBA, yes, you do have a good enough chance.

Feel free to connect for a 1-to-1 session

CrackAdmission · Answer

Hello  ishangoyal00

Firstly, sorry to hear that you got a ding from some top schools last year. Applying to US Schools in R3 as an International applicant is always trick and the odds are stacked against you. Additionally, not having a blue-chip company tag in your resume has its own pitfalls.

Below is my evaluation of your profile.

GMAT: Average; if you are considering T15 as your target schools.

Academics: Average; Tier 2 School with a good CGPA

Work Experience: Seems you have been a jack of all trades at work. Considering its family business, this kind of hustler responsibility comes naturally. However, you would need to zero down on 1-2 things ex. Category Development & Sales Planning to indicate that you have meaningfully grown in terms of professional KPIs.

There is a bunch of people who apply to Business schools each year from ZS (I am an ex-ZSer myself and know the reality). While your stint at the firm is less, you should demonstrate some of the learnings / transferrable skills from ZS that you applied in your Family Business to accomplish objectives in a more structured manner. Digitization with an objective of Process Establishment can be an avenue to do the same.

Goals: As far as long term of goal of re-joining and scaling the business is concerned is logical, what ad coms would be most interested to understand is how will you leverage your experience thus far combined with the MBA to make a mark in the FMCG industry in USA considering you don’t have a lot of exposure to the nuances of that market. You have mentioned marketing as a short-term goal. Natural question in the mind of the reader would be how does Ishan know how the customers in US value and how will he be able to relate to their belief system, preferences, choices, practices etc. Do try to address those questions upfront and craft your story such that such questions are auto answered as the ad com goes through application material.
Extra-Curriculars: Average ; while there is definitely variety in the nature of your associations, I don’t see a common thread or a long term commitment to any endeavor.

What Next?
MBA and Masters in Business Analytics are not apples to apples comparison (only the acronym MBA is the same 😊). The investment and returns from both are quite different and hence you will need to introspect which kind of education you want to attain and how does it relate to your career goals. For example, the odds of cracking a Brand Marketing role post a Master’s in Business Analytics are very low.

To hedge your bets, you can request ESSEC for a 1 year extension and then try your luck at MBA once more before making a decision.

I have been guiding applicants navigate their admission journeys successfully for the last 6+ years. Feel free to reach out to me at +91-9701215544 if you seek professional guidance.

Cheers and all the best!

GeneralEducation · Answer

Hi  ishangoyal00 ,

Assuming your reason for rejection is listing your goals unfairly, you need to align those right. Education Ark is great, and the career progression and leadership skills are good. Your ECs and awards can be extra bonuses to draft essays. And you're planning to establish marketing for your family business, an MBA would help you better than a Master's program(both networking & management side).

I suggest not waiting for another if you have no other plans than working on a family business, go ahead in applying for the 2024 intake with some thought put into revamping your long/short-term goals. Getting professional help can put you at ease.

Talk to our  admission experts  to evaluate your profile for free.

AdmitExpert · Answer

Hi ishangoyal00 , One of the reasons for your rejection could have been the timing of your applications, as applying late in the admissions cycle can be disadvantageous for Indians. Also might have been rejected because of the lower than expected work experience. The schools you have mentioned are very competitive and they receive numerous applications similar to yours. So it is important for you to have distinguished yourself in some way and shower clarity of though in why MBA and why now. Maybe the application materials did not convey these clearly. For this cycle, you need to apply now for fall 2024. Not wait a year. R1 applicants are already working on their applications and you need to start too. Your profile is very interesting and there are a number of things that stand out and can be used to create a compelling narrative. Start early and take the help of consultants to improve your chances. For a more detailed 1-1 strategy session, please write to contactus@admitexpert.com or fill the form at http://www.admitexpert.com Good luck!

Angry-Indian-male · Answer

Hey, this seems like a great profile for a top school, but I believe more in-depth review would be required to get an idea of the odds to get into the schools

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello ishangoyal00 , You have a fine GMAT score but your goals are all over the place. So, irrespective of when you apply, you need to first think more deeply about your goals. The following video will help in this regard. There are a number of talking points in your profile but you could do with guidance on how to consolidate all the information in a manner that highlights your strengths (while, of course, reducing emphasis on the weaknesses such as the number of job changes). The following video will help: https://www.expertsglobal.com/how-to-wr ... of-purpose Should you wish to have a detailed discussion pertaining to your prospects, please feel free to get in touch with us for a profile evaluation session. You may send us a message in this regard. All the best! All

MiMEssay · Answer

Hey ishangoyal00,

Your profile is quite robust, showcasing a unique blend of experience in the corporate sector and a family business. Your high GMAT score and GPA, coupled with your significant contributions to your family business, position you well for an MBA program. However, the inconsistency in your job tenure might raise some eyebrows among admissions committees. The challenge will be to frame these transitions and your short tenure at each job as strategic decisions rather than a lack of commitment.

Your experience at the family business will likely be the cornerstone of your application. Your work there shows leadership, strategic thinking, and a tangible impact on the business. It also ties in well with your post-MBA goal of scaling your family business and entering new markets. Your past roles at ZS Associates and O9 Solutions also add value, demonstrating your analytical skills and understanding of technology and data-driven business solutions.

Given your goals, schools known for strong entrepreneurship and family business programs could be an excellent fit. The US schools you could target include Kellogg, Columbia, and Michigan Ross, while in the UK, consider London Business School and Oxford Said. These schools value the experience and perspective that family business applicants bring and have strong offerings in brand management and marketing.

Your application could benefit from a clearer articulation of your career trajectory, explaining your job transitions and why an MBA is necessary for your goals. For this, you can emphasize how an MBA will equip you with the necessary skills to scale your family business and transition to the FMCG market.

Lastly, considering you've been rejected from Ross, Tuck, Cornell, and LBS, it may be worthwhile to seek professional feedback on your applications to understand what might have gone wrong. Be sure to apply in Round 1 or 2 when there are more seats available.

As for your admission to the Masters in Business Analytics at ESSEC, consider whether the program aligns with your goals. If your primary objective is to gain skills in marketing and brand management and scale your family business, an MBA might indeed open more doors for you.

If you need   more help  , you can message me directly and I'd be happy to give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.

Profile Evaluation for MBA 2024

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards